Grinding-mill.



W. R. CUNNINGHAM.

GRINDING M-ILL. APPLICATION rILnb JAN. 2, 1912.

1 ,O28,550.- Patented June 4,1912.

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9] J v k .l 9/ Q WITNESSES W. R. CUNNINGHAM.

' GRINDING MILL.

APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 2, 1912.

Patented June 4, 1912.

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coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH CD.,WASHINOTON. n. 0.

W. R. CUNNINGHAM.

GRINDING MILL.

APPLICATION IILED JAN. 2, 1912.

1,028,550, I Patented June 4, 1912.

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JE/WmM Allorney COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH c0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNI $11 WILLIAM R. CUNNINGHAM, 0F BUCYRUS, OHIO, ASSIG-NOR TO THE AMERICAN-CLAY MACHINERY (30., OF BUCYRUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GRINDING-MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedJune 4, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. CUN- NINGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bucyrus, in the county of Crawford and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grinding-Mills, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines of the type commonly known as grinding and mixing pans designed particularly for grinding clay, sand and other material, and the invention consists of the parts, and the constructions, arrangements and combination of parts, which I will hereinafter describe and claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate like parts in the several views; Figure 1 is a perspective view of a grinding mill embodying my invention, showing a portion of the pan broken away to expose the scraping devices and rakes. Fig. 2 is a similar view loo-king toward the opposite side of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of one of the mullers. Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line, AB of Fig. 8. Figs. 5 and 6 represent enlarged views of the rake or stirrer attachment. Figs. 7 and 8 are enlarged views of the rim-scraping attachment. I

In carrying out my invention I employ a frame of suitable design, construction and dimensions, said frame comprising side standards or uprights, l and 2, which are appropriately connected at their upper portions by means of a cross bar, 3, provided with journal boxes or bearings, 4, having a horizontal driving shaft, 5, said shaft having keyed or otherwise fixed to it a driving pulley, 5, and a beveled pinion, 6, which latter is designed to mesh with a beveled gear wheel, 7 mounted within the cross frame, 3, and appropriately secured to the upper end of a vertical shaft, 8, said shaft being suitably journaled in the cross bar, 3, and having its lower end mounted in a step or bearing, 9, of any suitable character. The aforesaid side standards or uprights are also secured to each other through the me dium of suitable tie-bars, which I will hereinafter more fully describe in connection with the scraping and raking attachments with which the machine is supplied.

The pan, 10, in which the grinding operation takes place is of the construction usually found in this type of machine, except as hereinafter explained, and it is suitably connected or otherwise fixed to the vertical shaft, 8, so as to revolve therewith, said pan derstood that in machines of this class the material to be ground is fed into the pan in any well known manner and as the pan revolves it causes the material to be carried beneath the mullers, where it is ground or pulverized between the outer periphery of said mullers and the wearing plates, 11, before mentioned, suitable scrapers, of which there will be in practice one for each muller, being set at a suitable angle relative to the mullers and to the inner circumference of the pan and adapted to direct the material into the range of action of said mullers as the pan rotates by power derived from the driving shaft, 5, and transmitted through the gears, 6 and 7 and the vertical shaft, 8, to which latter the'pan is secured as before mentioned.

A leading feature of the present invention is in the construction of the aforesaid mullers, 12, and in order that the importance of the improvement may be better understood, I desire to state that it has been discovered in the grinding of certain materials and particularly in the manufacture of what is known as sand-lime brick, that a much better mixture can be obtained'by the use of a wet-grinding pan and also that the heavy mullers would change the spherical structure of the grains of sand to irregular shapes, which would make a more perfect bond in the brick. For this reason I have designed the present machine as a wet-grinding pan, suitable for the particular class of work mentioned. In the practical operation of these machines, it was discovered that the sand attacked the muller tires very rapidly, causing them to Wear concave on the face, and as soon as these tires wear to any great extent, it is impossible to get the results from the pan that are obtainable when the tires are fiat and not concaved on their grinding surfaces. To meet this conditon I have constructed the present mullers with tires which are divided circui'nferentially into say two parts and which parts may be of the same width and similar in other respects, so that they may be reversed or interchanged at any time when the contiguous surfaces, and which would indicate the central portion of the tire, as a whole, would wear concaved, because of the action of the sand or material being ground; and in order to permit the users of this mill to reverse the muller tires, I have designed a special means for holding the tires in proper position. The construction of the tire and the means for holding them in position I will now refer to, having particular reference to Figs. 3 and 4.

The body portion of the muller is made of suitable material and is bored at its center to receive the shaft, 14, upon which the muller rotates, and in order to obtain the weight which seems to be necessary in the proper grinding 'of sand and like material, I thicken this body portion as shown at the bulging portions, 15. In addition to making the tire of the muller of the two similar portions, 16-16, before mentioned, I form oppositely inclined seats, 17-17, on the inner circumference of these tire-sections, and I provide like inclined seats, 18- 18', in the periphery of the body portion, said seats being designed for the reception of suitable cast-iron cones, 19, which enter the muller, through opposite sides and which are centrally pierced for the reception of heavy bolts, 20, having heads at one end and having the opposite endthreaded to receive suitable securing nuts, 21, where by when the nuts are operated the bolts draw the cones inwardly on their tapered seats which results-in the tire-sections being drawn tightly together and held securely in position. The standard width of these tires ing under the abrasive action of the sand to form the concaved face before alluded to. In order to keep the muller tires from breaking, I drive wooden wedges, 21, between the body of the muller and the tire at points between the cone-holding devices, which makes a very effective tire-holding attachment for a muller of this character. Each muller is also supplied with a tube, 22, leading to the center of the muller and through which oil may be introduced to lubricate the muller, as is well known in this art.

A second leading feature of the present invention relates to the construction of the grinding pan. In the present case the base of the pan is made of one piece and is machined on the periphery so as to leave a small outwardly extending flange, 24, at the base, upon which flange the lower edge of the vertical rim, 25, of said pan, may rest; also the top of the revolving base, 23, is

machined off so as to form a true and perfect seat for the hard muller wearing plates, 11, and which plates in the usual construction of these machines, are readily removable by suitable well known means. The rim is made heavy and of sufficient depth to give a large holding capacity to the pan, and the pan bottom is made practically watertight, the wearing surfaces in the bottom of the pan being formed by the renewable plates, 11, which cover the entire surface.

A third feature of the present improvement relates to the construction and arrangement of certain bottom and side scrapers and rakes, to which I will now refer. These scrapers and rakes are appropriately securedv to the tie-bars, 26, before mentioned. In practice, the pan is supplied with four double scrapers, 13, with adjustable hard metal wearing plates, 27 a set of rim scrapers, 28, is employed for preventing the sand from adhering to the inside of the rim, and a set of sand rakes, 29, is provided for loosening the material in the bottom of the pan from the center to the outer rim thereof.

At each revolution of the pan the packed sand or material comes in contact with the sand rakes, 29, which loosen it from the bottom of the pan where it is again thrown under a succeeding muller by the action of the scrapers, l3, suitably positioned in-the pan. By using the four scrapers, 13, shown, the material passes beneath the mullers twice at each revolution of the pan and thus is rapidly pulverized and very thoroughly mixed. The scrapers, 13, are shown in detail in Figs. 1 and 2, as being set at a suitable angle relative to the muller and to the '27, of white metal, or other hard material which forms a wearing surface and which is inexpensive in repair cost, and has been found to be the most durable material for resisting the action of sharp silica sands. The several parts of the scraper are slotted and engaged by bolts, 33, 33', whereby the blades are adjustable horizontally and vertically relatively to the bottom and rim, as occasion requires, which adjustment is not broadly new in this art.

The arrangement of the scrapers is such that they overlap at adjacent ends, whereby one set will deliver material to the second set and said second set will deliver material under the muller; the third'and fourth sets of scrapers operate in like manner and in. connection with the other muller.

As the sand or other material will often pack very hard onthe bottom of the pan if it is allowed to run under the mullers several times, I have placed within the pan and at a suitable distance from the succeeding scraper, a set of steel rake teeth, 29, which teeth are designed to break and loosen up the hard surface thus formed. These rake teeth or bars, are set at suitable angles to each other so that they spread apart at their lower ends. They are secured edgewise between clamping plates, 35-36, whose inner surfaces are channeled to receive the edges of the bars or teeth, the said plates being securely clamped together and against the inserted teeth or bars by means of clamps, 37, abutting the tie-bar, and held by suitable nuts, and bolts, 38, as shown in Figs. 1, 5 and 6. The arrangement is such that these rake teeth or bars, may be moved downwardly in their channel seats, as their lower ends wear whereby said teeth or bars may be at any time adjusted to successfully operate upon the packed sand in the bottom of the pan.

Another feature of the invention is the employment of a scraper for operating against the inner periphery of the rim or vertical flange of the pan. This scraper may be of any suitable character, but is hereinafter shown as comprising a set of bars, or teeth, 28, set at an angle to the vertical and horizontal and clamped between theplates, 40 and 41, the latter of which extends upwardly past the tie-bar and is appropriately clamped thereto. The outer ends of the teeth or bars of this scraper operate close to or in contact with the inner circumference of the rim, and the clamping plates for holding these bars or teeth, may be substantially similar to those shown in Fig. 6, whereby the outer ends of the bars or teeth may be adjusted relatively to the rim as their engaging Points wear.

An unloading shovel, 4:2, is shown in Fig. 2. This is a steel shovel which is hung in a convenient position, say upon a swiveled or other support, 43, clipped to and projecting from oneof the tie-bars, said shovel having its handleportion extending to a convenient position for the operator to grasp. By means of-this shovel, the blade portion of which is positioned on the floor of the pan, the full contents of a nine-foot mill can be emptied in less than thirty seconds.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that by communicating power to the drive shaft to the mill the vertical main shaft and the pan are caused to revolve, and these in turn communicate motion to the mullers. These latter revolve on the cross shafts which hold them in position, but do not travel around. the pan. As the material is discharged into the revolving pan, the centrifugal motion carries it to the periphery of the pan where itencounters the scrapers or plows which carry itjback under the revolving mullers. This operation is repeated until the material is mixed and ground sufficiently when the operator removes the charge by means of the shovel.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patents is 1. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, of a revolubly mounted muller having a tire formed of removable and reversible annular sections.

2. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, of a revolubly mounted mullerhaving a tire formed of removable and reversible annular sections, and means for rigidly. securing the tire-sections to the body of the muller.

3. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, of a revolubly mounted muller having a tire formed of removable and-reversible annular sections, and means for rigidly clamping the sections to each other.

4. Ina grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, of a revolubly mounted muller having a tire formed of removable and reversible annular sections, means for locking the sections rigidly to the body of the muller, and means for drawing the sections into fixed clamping engagement with.

each other.

5. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, of a revolubly mounted muller having a tire formed of removable and reversible annular sections, and wooden blocks driven between the inner periphery of the sections and the body of the muller, for rigidly locking the sections to said body.

6. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, of a revolubly mounted muller having a tire formed of removable and reversible annular sections, and means for rigidly clamping the sections to each other, said means comprising alined conical washers introduced between the tire-sections and the body of the muller, and bolts passing through the washers and provided with means for advancing. said washers toward each other.

7. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, of a revolubly mounted muller having a tire formed of removable and reversible annular sections, and means for rigidly clamping the sections" to each other, said means comprising alined conical washers introduced between lI-l16'tlIB-S8CtlOIlS and the body of the muller, and bolts pass means for clamping the sections to each otheix 9. In a. mill of the character described, a muller comprising a body portion and a separate tire, said tire being formed of separable andsimilar reversible sections, and means for clamping the sections to each other, and means for rigidly securing the, portion so that they sections to the bod y revolve therewith.

10. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, reducing agencies arranged therein and a fixed bar extending over the pan, of rake bars operating on the bottom of the pan to loosen material packed thereon, said bars. being set at an angle "t each other, a holder for the bars said holder comprising opposing plates between which the bars are clamped and in which they are endwi-se adjustable andmeans for securing the plate to said fixed bar.

1 11. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan, reducing agencies arranged therein and a fixed bar extending over the pan, of rake bars operating on the bottom of the pan to loosenmaterial packed thereon, said bars being set at an angle to each other, a holder for the bars said holder comprising opposing plates between which the bars are clamped and in which they are .endwise adjustable, and means for securing the plate to said fixed bar, said opposed plates having grooves or channels to receive the edges of the rake bars.

12. In a grinding mill, the combination with a revoluble pan having a surrounding vertical flange, 'andreducing agencies mounted within the pan, of a scraper fixed in thepan having a series of bars projecting toward said flange and terminating substa-ntially thereagainst, and a holder for the bars said: holder comprising opposed plates between which the bars are adjustably clamped.

In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM R. CUNNINGHAM.

' Witnesses Gus; MERIDITH, C. P. MADER;

Copies of this patent'may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I); 0; 

